Fulbright Guest Lecture
USA and PRC Grasslands: Compare & Contrast
David B. Hannaway,
Kimberly Japhet,
and Brianna Randow
Crop & Soil Science Department
Oregon State University
Kimberly
David
Li Xianglin
Director, Grassland Division
Institute of Animal Sciences
Chinese Academy of Sciences
Brianna
Xianglin
Adapted from the National Forage & Grassland Curriculum
and FAO Country Pasture Profiles for the USA and PRC
Overview
Objectives
To help interested learners:
1) Visualize the vast scope, importance, characteristics,
and challenges faced by the great grassland regions of
the world.
FORAGES: An Introduction To Grassland Agriculture
Overview (continued)
Objectives
To help interested learners:
2) Appreciate the role and
importance of grasslands
and their forages in the
United States and China.
FORAGES: An Introduction To Grassland Agriculture
Overview (continued)
Rationale
 Presenting general concepts of world grasslands will
help us understand the fragile balance among the
plants, soil, and animals in each grassland type.
 Comparing and contrasting grasslands of the USA and
PRC will help us understand the common scope and
importance to our nations.
 Proposing actions required for education, research,
and extension and envisioning future benefits will
inform decisions made by those who manage the land.
FORAGES: An Introduction To Grassland Agriculture
Instructional Objectives
I.
1.
2.
3.
4.
For World Grasslands
Define and describe the world’s natural grasslands.
Define and locate tropical and temperate grasslands.
Prioritize the important issues affecting grasslands.
List and define societal benefits of managing
grasslands using sound scientific principles.
5. Describe positive potential futures for grassland
management and use.
FORAGES: An Introduction To Grassland Agriculture
Instructional Objectives (continued)
II.
1.
2.
3.
For US and PRC Grasslands
Describe the historical and current roles of grasslands.
Discuss the key climatological and production regions.
Discuss forages from a livestock utilization perspective.
FORAGES: An Introduction To Grassland Agriculture
Define and describe the world’s natural
grasslands.
• Grassland refers to that biome dominated by
grasses, species of the Poaceae family
(previously Gramineae).
• A biome is defined as “a large geographical area
characterized by certain types of plants and
animals.” Examples are forest, grassland,
freshwater, marine, desert, and tundra.
FORAGES: An Introduction To Grassland Agriculture
Biomes of the World
FORAGES: An Introduction To Grassland Agriculture
Define and describe the world’s natural
grasslands (continued).
•
•
The grassland biome:
 covers about 2/3 of the land masses of the world
 makes up 1/4 of the earth's surface.
Although grasslands contain mostly grass, they are
areas of great variety with over 10,000 grass species,
and 12,000 species of legumes that grow with grasses.
FORAGES: An Introduction To Grassland Agriculture
Define and describe the world’s natural
grasslands (continued).
•
•
Most natural grasslands exist between deserts and
forests (two other biome types).
Man-made grasslands have been developed on land
that would accommodate trees.
FORAGES: An Introduction To Grassland Agriculture
Define and describe the world’s natural
grasslands (continued).
• Grasslands can be defined in many ways:
http://www.fao.org/agriculture/crops/core-themes/theme/spi/gcwg/definitions/en/
• Typically, grasslands are divided into two categories:
1) Tropical (grasslands located near
the equator such as those in Africa,
southern Asia, Australia and northern
South America)
2) Temperate (grasslands located
between the equator and the poles,
including those in North America,
Europe, southern South America,
Africa and Australia).
FORAGES: An Introduction To Grassland Agriculture
Define and describe the world’s natural
grasslands (continued).
1) Tropical grasslands: are close to the equator and hot
all year. Names are different in different countries.






In Africa they are called “savannas,”
in Colombia and Venezuela, “llanos,”
in the Brazilian highlands, “campos,”
in Upper Paraguay, “pantanals,”
in Australia, “plains,” and
in India, “the Deccan Plateau.”
FORAGES: An Introduction To Grassland Agriculture
Define and describe the world’s natural
grasslands (continued).
1) Tropical grasslands (continued):
•
A savanna is grassland with scattered individual trees.

•
It covers almost half the surface of Africa (~5 Mmi2; ~13 Mkm²)
and large areas of Australia, South America, and India.
Climate is the most important factor in creating a savanna.

Savannas are found in warm or hot climates where the annual
rainfall is 50 to 125 cm (20-50 in).
 Rainfall is concentrated in 6-8 months of the year, followed by a
long period of drought when fires can occur. [If the rains were
well distributed throughout the year, many such areas would
become tropical forests.]
FORAGES: An Introduction To Grassland Agriculture
Define and describe the world’s natural
grasslands (continued).
2) Temperate grasslands: such as the Canadian prairies and
U.S. Great Plains have both hot summers and harsh winters.
• Once covered much of the interior of North America and were
common in Eurasia and South America.
• In South America, grasslands are called "pampas"; in
Eurasia, "steppes;” in southern Africa, “veldts.”
• They are highly productive
because the organic material in
the soil comes from many years
of decomposition.
FORAGES: An Introduction To Grassland Agriculture
Define and describe the world’s natural
grasslands (continued).
2) Temperate grasslands (continued):
• In North America, prairies were inhabited by huge herds of
bison and pronghorns, hunted by wolves and bears.
• Where the U.S. Great Plains have been converted to farmland,
the large herds and predators that followed them are gone now.
FORAGES: An Introduction To Grassland Agriculture
Define, describe, and locate the tropical
grasslands and their forages.
•
Grasslands near the equator produce plants that can
withstand a hot climate through most of the year as
well as drought and fires.

Grasses on savannas are often tall bunchgrasses to aid in
surviving the extreme climate in soil that has little humus.

There is little humus in the soil since long drought periods
do not promote decomposition needed for developing fertile soil.
FORAGES: An Introduction To Grassland Agriculture
Define, describe, and locate the tropical
grasslands and their forages (continued).
•
Tropical grasslands have been protected from invasion
by man by being the habitat of dangerous wildlife and
numerous pests. Some grasslands today are still
sparsely populated due to tsetse flies.



In Africa, elephants, zebras, wildebeast, giraffes, and other
browsers eat the grasses and are then eaten by cheetahs,
lions, and other predators.
In Australia, emus and other foragers rely on hot grasslands.
The largest group of animal life in the savannas is made up of
insects; billions of locust, termites and flies.
FORAGES: An Introduction To Grassland Agriculture
Define, describe, and locate the tropical
grasslands and their forages (continued).
•
How can so many creatures exist on such a land?


Grasses are able to withstand fire and drought.
Various animals and insects eat different plants and perform
different functions.

Zebras eat more fibrous grasses while hartebeast (a grassland
antelope) consume the stalks of plants left by previous foragers.
 Giraffes and elephants eat the tops of trees.
 Carnivorous animals hide in the tall grasses.
 Termites aerate tons of soil, allowing
rainfall to seep readily into the ground.
 Grasslands are wonderful examples of
diversity and synergism.
FORAGES: An Introduction To Grassland Agriculture
Define, describe, and locate the
temperate grasslands and their forages.
•
Temperate grasslands contain short and tall grasses
with few trees.


Smooth, fine grasses with lateral-growth habit form a carpet of
grass called a sward; wiry, coarse grasses grow upright and
form clumps called tussocks.
Rainfall determines the types of grasses (short- or mid-grass
steppe or tallgrass prairie) and plant density, resulting in thick
or clumpy growth.
FORAGES: An Introduction To Grassland Agriculture
Define, describe, and locate temperate
grasslands and their forages (continued).
•
•
Temperature extremes are wider than anywhere in the
world; annual rainfall averages 30-50 cm (12-20 in).
The Grassland biome transitions to:
 desert in more arid conditions or
 forest with increased rainfall.
FORAGES: An Introduction To Grassland Agriculture
Define, describe, and locate temperate
grasslands and their forages (continued).
•
Many different types of animals and insects thrive on
the forage in temperate grasslands.
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Insects (aphids, grubs, grasshoppers, and caterpillars)
consume different parts of the vegetation.
Rodents (rabbits, hares, prairie dogs, gerbils, hamsters, mice,
squirrels, chinchillas and rat kangaroos) forage on the various
grasslands.
Australian kangaroos,
S. American guanacos,
N. American bison and
antelope all forage, but
are hunted by wolves.
Birds consume seeds and
grasses and are predators
of other foragers.
FORAGES: An Introduction To Grassland Agriculture
Prioritize as most pressing the important
issues affecting grasslands and their forages.
•
•
The central issue is whether society (governments and
their peoples) values these grasslands enough to
protect them through sustainable management.
Historically, stable grasslands became susceptible to
deterioration and destruction with modern agricultural
implements, improved transportation (railroads), and
policies that encouraged development.
 See the NFGC for descriptive text:
http://forages.oregonstate.edu/nfgc/eo/onlineforagecurriculum/instructormaterials/availabletopics/grasslands/issues
FORAGES: An Introduction To Grassland Agriculture
Prioritize as most pressing the important
issues affecting grasslands and their forages.
•
How can proper management and restoration or
improvement be accomplished?
[Issues of residential encroachment, desertification, grazing/water
rights, plant selection, suitable land usage. Others?]
 Education, research, and extension of grassland
science and proper management techniques*
 Education is essential to make the farmer and nomadic
people capable of accepting the new ideas and applying
new technologies.
 Research is needed to provide the necessary know-how.
 An extension service is needed to provide a link between
research information and the farmer and nomadic people.)
*Adapted from: Forage Resources of China (Hu, Hannaway, and Youngberg. 1982).
FORAGES: An Introduction To Grassland Agriculture
Prioritize as most pressing the important
issues affecting grasslands and their forages.
Education needs:
•
•
•
•
Mass education for increased public awareness of the benefits of
healthy grasslands.
Small group meetings, short courses, and practical publications
for improved understanding of nomads and farmers of how to
properly manage grasslands.
Middle level education to develop greater numbers of trained
extension workers.
Practical higher education programs that emphasize the
interrelationships of grassland science and animal science, crop
science, botany, and ecology.
FORAGES: An Introduction To Grassland Agriculture
Prioritize as most pressing the important
issues affecting grasslands and their forages.
Research needs:
•
•
•
•
•
Assessment of current conditions through advanced technologies
(GIS, RS) and on-the-ground surveys.
Research designed to solve fundamental, practical problems of
certain areas and conducted with standardized scientific methods.
Establishment of LTER projects in key ecological zones.
Development of a national team to define, propose, and conduct
high priority research projects.
Improved linkage of researchers within and among
provinces and with international colleagues.
FORAGES: An Introduction To Grassland Agriculture
Prioritize as most pressing the important
issues affecting grasslands and their forages.
Extension needs:
• Extension worker training and education.
• Utilize global grassland science literature
identify results for putting into practice in
similar ecological zones.
• Develop educational tools for determining the
appropriate stocking rates and grazing
season.
• Help farmers and nomads with adjusting
grazing systems based on the degree of
grazing land deterioration.
• Assist with establishing demonstration
improved pastures, experimental enclosures,
and hay storage facilities for periods of
inadequate grazing land forages.
FORAGES: An Introduction To Grassland Agriculture
List and define societal benefits of managing
grasslands using sound scientific principles.
•
Healthy grasslands can provide numerous
environmental services, including:



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sequestering CO2
giving O2
forming and protecting fertile soils
providing forage for domestic and wild animals
providing habitat for numerous creatures
FORAGES: An Introduction To Grassland Agriculture
List and define societal benefits of managing
grasslands using sound scientific principles.
Matching the use of grassland resources with their
biological capacity will result in:
•
•
•
•
Conserving the natural resources of land, soil, water, and biological
diversity of the vegetation.
Regeneration of the productivity potential of plants and animals.
Restoration of the beauty of the landscape and clean water.
Improvement of people’s lives, both those living on the land and
those benefitting from the improved ecological services provided.
FORAGES: An Introduction To Grassland Agriculture
Describe positive potential futures for
grassland management and use.
•
•
•
•
•
Sound national grassland philosophies guiding
government policy development and implementation.
Forage-grassland-livestock systems meeting food
needs, environmental objectives, and aesthetic values
of society in the context of multiple use of resources.
Grasslands providing renewable biomass for energy.
Carbon credits established providing increased
revenue for grassland managers.
Improved capacity teaching, research, and extension
programs in grassland management.
FORAGES: An Introduction To Grassland Agriculture
Summary of World Grasslands
• Much of the world is covered with grasses.
• Grasslands are classified as either tropical or temperate.
• Natural grasslands have developed over thousands of years as
plants, soil, and animals are in a balanced equilibrium.
• Man has used grasslands and created man-made grasslands with
both successful and disastrous results.
• Grasslands types must be managed specifically and properly to
continue to provide food for
mankind and animals.
• Education, research, and
extension program needs
were listed.
• Appropriate management
leads to many benefits.
• A future vision for grasslands
was provided.
Adapted from the NFGC Segment on World Grasslands:
http://forages.oregonstate.edu/nfgc/eo/onlineforagecurriculum/instructormaterials/availabletopics/grasslandsoftheworld
FORAGES: An Introduction To Grassland Agriculture